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ELEVATED RII LWAY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 228,055, dated May 25, 1880.

Application filed May 15, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, RUFUs H. GILBERT, of the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Elevated Railways, ofwhich the following specification, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse section of an elevated railway adapted for four tracks, one set of tracks being above the other. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an isometrical projection thereof, in which the plan of construction is more fully shown. Fig. 4 is a transverse section of an elevated railway with four tracks side by side in the same horizontal plane. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is an isometrical projection thereof, in which the plan of construction is more fully shown, though a portion of the tracks and other parts are omitted for perspicuity.

rIhe object of my invention is to so improve the construction of elevated railways that their capacity, stability, safety, and durability are increased.

The general features ofthe railway are, that it is elevated above the street or sidewalk, and its tracks carried by longitudinal girders or beams, which are supported by transverse girders resting upon columns placed at suitable distances apart along the streets or 011 the curb-line.

The present invention consists in supporting transverse and longitudinal trusses independently upon an improved column, which -is at its base broader in the direction ofthe road than transversely, and is adapted to receive part of the longitudinal thrust of the structure, and also resist the same in an effective manner.

In the structure shown in Figs. l to 3 the transverse support for the railway consists of trapezoidal girders, which may rest upon such columns at points where the i elevation is great, or upon vertical members where the elevation is less, said columns being placed at proper points along the street and carrying the longitudinal girders which support the track-structure. Each transverse or trapezoidal girder is composed of a bottom chord, 14, and a top chord, 15. 'lhis top chord is united with and sustained in its relation to the bottom chord by vertical posts 21 and inclined end posts, 16, formed of I-beams or channel-bars, which posts might be latticed, if de .sired, while braces 17 connect the centers of said end posts to the bases of said vertical posts and to the bottom chord, 14

In order to provide the structure with a strength adequate to the support of the load imposed by quadruple tracks, as well as to provide for the independent contraction and expansion of its several sections, two or more ened by diagonal braces and tension-rods 45,`

though they might be trussed upon any other plan or system. These longitudinal girders rest upon and are suitably secured at each end to the transverse girders, and thus form, withsaid transverse girders, independent sections, constituting a structure'of indefinite length.

The longitudinal stringers 2 and 25 rest upon the transverse girders, and form, respectively, the supports for the cross-ties 46 47, upon which the tracks 3 are laid.

Transverse Hoor-beams 48 49 are connected to the upper and lower chords, 4l 42, of the longitudinal girders, and form intermediate supports for the track ties and stringers, said beams being held in place by diagonal ties or rods 50, and longitudinal guardrails 26 18, Fig. 1, are placed outside or inside of the tracks, or both.

The increased strength required by the zo Moreover, by such construction the danger of double load imposed by the trains on the two sets/of tracks is provided for by the great depth of the longitudinal girders and of the lower chord of the transverse girder, both being latticed girders.

The inclined end posts also form an important part ofthe transverse girder, as they serve, in addition to aiding in sustaining the imposed weight, to maintain the longitudinal girders in a vertical position, and also aid in preventing side motion or swaying of the structure.

By this construction of railway its capacity is increased by the provision made for independent sets of trains, such as local accommodation trains and through express trains, in streets not wide enough forfour tracks placed side by side, which would necessarily encroach upon the buildings along the line.

crossing tracks to gain access to the trains is avoided.

A structure adapted4 to carry many tracks side by side in the same plane is shown in Figs. 4 to 6. lt consists of transverse latticed girders 29, which rest upon and extend from opposite supportin g-colum ns. These transverse girders support the several longitudinal girders which extend from one to another of said transverse girders, to which they are secured in any suitable manner.

In the structure hereinbefore described it is obvious that the supporting-coltiinns must be of great capacity to resist not only vertical pressure, but also deflection from the perpendicular in the direction of the line of track, to which there is great liability in elevated railroads by passage of trains generally, and by trains braking-up especially. For this purpose myimproved column consists of two meinbers, each composed of pairs of I-beams or channel-bars properly secured together, and having blocks or stops interposed between them. These members are vertical to a length equal to the height or depth ot' the transverse girders, and then stand at an inclination.

They are properly st-ift'ened an d united by cross` beams 38 and diagonal braces 39, and so form a column of great strength.

Instead of using the cross-beams and diagonal braces, perforated plates 30 and 31, Fig. 6, may be used. These plates extend high enough to give support to the cross-girders. By using perforated plates instead of full solid plates material is saved, and the insideof the columns can conveniently be painted. v

By bending the beams or channeLbars oi" the columns outward, or giving them an inclination, a greater bearing-suriacein the direction ofthe length ofthe structure is obtained, and the column much more adapted to receive and resist part of the horizontal thrust imparted to the structure by the trains than ii' the base were as long as it is wide.

The transverse girders 29 have their chords made up of angle, cross, or channel bars and plates, which chords are connected together by suitable truss work. The trusses are thus adapted to enter between the E-beams or channel-bars composing the members of the columns 37 and have their top chord supported thereon, or to have their bottom chords seated upon the upper edge of the inner plates, 31, Fig. 6, of the column 36, and their top chords supported on the upper ends of the channelbars or angle-irons 8 9, composing in part said column, to which they are secured by angleirons riveted to said columns and to one of their vertical posts. These transverse girders may also. have braces 30 connecting them to the said columns.

The longitudinal girders 34, Fig'. 6, have a construction similar to that of the transverse girders 29. Thefree upwardly-projecting ends of the bars or angle-irons S 9 ofthe column 36 also allow for the slight movement ot' contrae tion and expansion of the sections.

The transverse girders, whether of the forms shown in Fig. 3 or Fig. 6, maybe two or more in number, according to the weight they are to sustain, but ii' only two in number, as in Fig. 3, they must be of great depth, whereby the head-room beneath them will be decreased, while if three or more are used, as in Fig. 2, their depth may be decreased and their elevation above the street may be diminished.

The advantages arising from the provision of independent transverse girders to support the longitudinal girders of an elevated railway are many.

Where two tracks are to be supported over a street, and the span from column to column placed at the curb-line is great, it is obvious that if one girder is used it must be of great depth in order to sustain its own weight and that of the load it is to bear. This necessitates a costly structure, since, in addition to the increased depth of the girder, that construction requires a great 'elevation in order to afford beneath it proper head-room. When, however, two girders are placed side by side, they may each be made much shallower than one, and at the same time provide independent sup ports for the longitudinal girders. This same result is produced where the span is less wide, but the load is greater, as when more than two sets of tracks are placed side by side, as in Fig. 4.

This mode of independently supporting the longitudinal girders is an important element in the structure of elevated railways, as it permits one section to contract and expand without affecting another, and thus enables the parts of each section to be iirmly riveted together and the general structure to be built very solidly.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim is- The combination, with an elevatedrailway structure, oi' a supporting-column composed of IOO IIO

l-beams or channel-bars, vertical at their top, adapted to receive transverse trusses and support the saine with longitudinal trusses independent of each other and inclined outwardly below said trusses in the direction of the length of the structure, and havin g longitudinal and diagonal braces or perforated plates so placed that the direction of their length will be parallel to the general direction of the length of the structure, all as set forth.

In testimouywhereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing` Witnesses.

'Witnesses: RUFUS H. GILBERT.

H. T. MUNsoN, 0. H. RIDENOUR. 

